Gauge device



J. J. F|TZGERALD GAUGE DEVICE Filed July 18. 1921 May 25 1926.

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Patented May 25, 19.26.

unire sTaTss PATENT OFFICE.

JOIIN J. FITZGERALD, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO A.SCI-IRADERS SON, INCORPORATED, OF BROOKLYN, NE'W YORK, A CORPORATION OFNEW YORK.

GAUGE DEVICE.

Application filed July 18, 1921.

This invention relates to pressure gauges, and particularly to apressure gauge which incorporates many novel features ot construction.

An object ot the invention is to provide a gauge which may accuratelymeasure Huid pressure in places diticult of access, as for instancemeasuring tire pressure where the valve member leading to the interiorof the tire is encircled by spoke members of a wheel. Wire spolredwheels present a difficulty in the measuring of Huid pressure within apneumatic tire carried by said wheel, asV the valve extends upwardlybetween the spokes, and it is di'licult to place a gauge device in aposition so as to measure the pressure. This is particularly true 'ofthe hand gauge device.

The invention also contemplates a gauge device which may be utilized formeasuring fluid pressure in internal combustion engines in addition tomeasuring fluid pressure in other mediums such as tires, and includes aconstruction adapted to enable the gauge to so measure the pressures.

This invention in certain aspects constitutes an improvement over myinvention contained in Letters Patent Nos. 1,347,022 and 1,397 ,27 forgauge devices.

In practicing the invention I provide the terminal head or oot portionwith. a tire valve trip or unseating means arranged at an angle to theterminal head. Obviously when the valve trip means is applied to thevalve stem of a pneumatictire the angled position of the valvetripwouldI cause the barrel member of the gauge to likewise be at "an angleand as a consequence the indicating meansl of the gaugewould not in anymanner be interfered with; y The invention has for further objects theprovisionf of an -improved valve ,tripv as -well `as an"improvedlgauge-which will be superior `i n pointfofv relative' simplicity -andinexpensiveness,l taken vin conjunction*with utility,`

durability and ygeneral Vefficiency and-serviceabilt.vv

lVithftheVV above mentioned and other objects in' view, vthe v invention'consistsin the novel and .useful provision, Aformation, construction,combinatiom-' inter-relation of vvparts, vmembers and "features, asvillustrated Yiijillsome lot 'its 'embodiments in .thel accompaiiy'i'ngVdrawing, 4set forth in the following Serial No. 485,500.

detailed description, and iinally pointed out in claims.

In the dra-Wing:

Figure l is a side elevation of a combination tire and cylindercompression gauge utilizing an improved terminal fittingy 'forconnection with a tire valve stem;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional View through the @auge shown inFigure l;

Figure 3 s ows an adaptation of the improved gauge to aspark plugopening in an internal combustion engine;

Figure 4 shows the improved gauge in connection with a tire valve stem;and,

Figures 5, 6 and 7 are modifications of the terminal fitting, andparticularly the tire valve trip means.

Corresponding pants in all the Figures are designated by the samereference characters.

Referring with particularity to the drawing, I have shown the improveddevice in cooperation with one form of gauge A, and of which gauge, 1 isthe barrel and 2 an outer Vtubular shell, telescoping said barrel, and 3a terminal head or foot portion associated with the barrel l. Theterminal head ,3 is formed with a bore 4, adapted to receive ing twothreadedportions ,as 11 and l2, the

portion occupied by the threads; l1` being of greater diameter-.than the-portion occupied by, the threads.l2..The ,terminal heagl is Vohamberedor recessed-asshown at 13, and la terminal headftting ,11b-has ascrewthreaded engagement withthe f, side wall surrounding the bore oropening13,mjas shown at p15 v2.,-A The member 1t-is formed with aninclined ufacevltd-andacurved .recess orchamber is; formed in the?Vmember 14 and sol extends'that its'siolej `wa-llmis praci ically atright angles to the inclined .-face vQ1(as shown.A y,at-17. y:`A{ar/.ducati ISeXtends from theffchaniber l ydirect-1yr'.upwarlly and.I`at .anf"ang1e to .the base of Ltheohambered portion or bore li'. Saidduct I8 communi- Cates in turn with an opening or duct 19 in a partition20 of the form shown in Fig. 2 within the terminal head, the opening orduct 19 leading to the interior of the barrel 1` lilithin the bore orchamber or opening 1T is confined an anvil or tire valve unseating means2l, .said anvil being provided with a duct 22. An annular washerorpress-on seat 23 is carried on the anvil plate and surrounds the anvilproper. A threaded bushing 2l; has a screw-threaded engagement with aportion of the wall sin-rounding` the bore 1T, and is adapted to holdthe washer and anvil in position within the bore or chamber 17. InFigure 2 I have also shown a washer 25 as interposed between the surfaceof the member 2t) and the inner surface of the member 14.

Referring to Figure 41, it will be noted that in order to test thepressure within a tire the tire gauge A must incline at an angle so thatthe valve trip may engage the anvil and the valve cage itself be pressedagainst the washer 23 to prevent loss of air. Air will then pass throughthe duct 22 into the duct 18 and thence impinge against the plungerforcing the plunger upwardly and in so doing compressing the spring 7.Obviously, as the barrel cannot move, the stem will be raised asindicated b v dotted lines at 26 and raise the tubular shell 2. Uponremoving the gauge from the trip the tubular shell will remain inposition while the stem 6 will return to normal position7 inasmuch as itis at all times urged downwardly through the medium of the coil spring7. In order to prevent the tubular shell from likewise returning tonormal position I contract a portion, as 27 of said tubular shell andlikewise bevel an edge thereof, as 28. The contracted portion 27 tightlyengages the outer surfaces of the barrel l and the beveled edge portion28 is adapted to pass over graduations, as 29, upon the barrel l. rihebeveled edge acts as a marker for indicating pressures. I likewiseprovide the cap 8 with an annular recess 30, and within said recess Iplace a split spring ring 3l. rlhis spring ring 3l bears against theinner surface of the tubular shell 2, and frictionally engages saidsurface so as to aid in preventing accidental movement of the tubularshell with relation to the barrel l. After the pressure has beenmeasured the tubular shell may be returned to its normal positionindicating no pressures whatever, by simply pressing upon the topthereof, so that it may telescope the barrel l.

The invention primarily, however, does not reside in any detailconstruction of gauge, nor in a particular terminal head as illust-ratedin Figures l and 2, the invention in its aspects more or less relatingto the member 14 which so adapts the gauge that it will readily act inconnection withthe tire valve cage or stem of a pneumatic tire where thetire valve stem is ditlicult of access, due to various causes, suchproximity of spokes, disc wheel construction, etc.

Referring to Figure at I have illustrated a fragmentary perspective viewof a wheel member B provided with wire spokes It is to be noted that mygauge A may readily be utilized with such wheel construction and theindicating member or tubular shell 2 will not in its movement beinterfered with. Figure 3 simply shows an adaptation of.' the gaugeshown iin Figure l, the said gauge being applied to the spark plugopening of an internal combustion engine C, the ter minal head being` soarranged as to permit an insertion of the gauge within the spark plugopening and so that the gauge may indi late the compression within anygiven cylinder.

In Figures 5, G and 7, I have indicated a modification of the particulararrangement of the tire valve trip means.

In Figure 6 the member is formed in-y tegrally with the terminal head llIin place of the detachable connection shown in Figure 2.

In Figure 5 I have illustrated a gauge construction which does not havea terminal head il, and which gauge is adapted only to measure pressureswithin pneumatic tires on similar devices having a valve stem. In saidconstruction shown in Figure 5 I provide a shoulder member 32 having ascrew-threaded engagement as at 33, with the barrel l.. The member 32 isprovided with a bore 34e opening outwardly and at an angle to the bottomface of the member 32. A duct 36 in turn communicates with the chamber34; and with an opposite face 257. This duct 36 in the constructionshown in Figure allows communication of air to the interior of thebarrel l. Included within the chamber or bore 3i an anvil plate with awasher 39 carried upon said anvil plate, and an annular ring 40 forretaining the washer 39 and anvil and anvil plate in position within thechamber. A duct il extends through the annular ring. Obviously thisconstruction will act the same as the constructioii shown in Figures l,2 and 6, the only difference being that in place of having an inclinedface 16 the face is transverse or at right angles to the outer surfaceof the barrel l.

In Figure 7 I have provided a structure in which a member 42 has adetachable engagement with the barrel l. Said member Li2 is shoulderedas at 1-3, and a portion thereof is screw-threaded within the barrel l.The member 4-2 is given a spherical bore as shown at 44. i mediumportion of said member 42 is provided with an opening 43 extendingtherethrough, and surrounding said opening and Within the chamber formedby the bore 44 is an anvil and an anvil plate 4G. A vasher member 47presenting a convex surface, as shown, surrounds said anvil plate andanvil, and is adapted to hold the anvil plate within the chamber 44. Asbefore mentioned, the anvil is provided With a duct allowingcommunication With the interior ot the barrel l. It is obvious that thestructure shown in Figure 7 accomplishes a 'result identical with thataccomplished by the construction shown in the other ligures of thedrawing, and Will permit the gauge to be held Iin an angle to the tirevalve trip and cage and yet provide a structure which will prevent theescape of air and accurately measure fluid pressure.

It is obvious that many changes and variations may be made in departurefrom the disclosure herein, Without departing from the true spirit andscope of the Iinvention, and a fair interpretation of the claims.

Having thus disclosed my invention, I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent:

l. A pressure gauge for pneumatic tires or the like comprising` astraight foot portion having a press-on seat therein disposed ininclined relation to the longitudinal axis oi the foot portion.

2. A pressure gauge or the like comprising a straight foot portionhaving a press-on seat therein, the eX- posed face of said press-on seatbeing inclined to the longitudinal axis of the foot portion.

A pressure gauge for pneumatic tires or the like comprising a tubularmember and a straight foot portion at the lower end thereof in axialalinement therewith, and a press-on seat disposed in said foot portionin inclined relation to the axis thereof.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name.

JOI-IN J. FITZGERALD.

for pneumatic tires

